Living in Manzanillo

Can anybody offer insights about living in Manzanillo? Weather seems great, it seems quiet but filled with potential for outdoor activities such as hiking, kayaking, sailing, etc. A little harder to get to than other places, but doable. Any ideas on cost of living -- housing, lower end apartment rentals?

Re: [mskitty] Living in Manzanillo

Are you sure that you want a response about Manzanillo or do you really mean La Manzanilla?

I can't imagine anyone saying that Manzanillo is quiet, although there are enclaves which fit that description. Manzanillo is a large, industrial port city with some very pretty and quiet beach enclaves. La Manzanilla is a small town on a beautiful bay but that small town is rapidly being converted into a high cost, deluxe home,swelling gringo population that while still quiet will soon force the native population away from the beach. Private message Shoe who lives in Melaque for information on either place.

Re: [jerezano] Living in Manzanillo

I really did mean Manzanillo! When I said quiet I guess I meant quiet because it's more off the tourist path than places like Vallarta and Mazatlan -- but I could be wrong! I spent lots of time yesterday on the website Shoe referenced, and that's part of what started drawing me in that direction. Hiking, sailing, kayaking -- all the outdoor stuff I enjoy. Still, it's always nice to hear personal experiences/opinions rather than website info that is naturally all geared to bring people there.

Re: [mskitty] Living in Manzanillo

Manzanillo can be thought of as four different places. Starting at the south and moving north, they are: 1. downtown, the old city on the mountain sides. Tour that area here: http://rollybrook.com/Manzanillo.htm The last picture on this page is a satellite view of the region. If you want to live on a mountain side, you can find some really good bargins here..

2. the port and shipping area. This is a fairly out of view area than masks how large and important it really is.

3. the new Manzanillo residential area, not visible from the main drag

4. the tourist hotels and beaches. This tourist area is just a thin veneer along the coast.

If it were not for the hot, humid weather, I'd enjoy living in Manzanillo where I have vacationed many times.

Re: [Rolly] Living in Manzanillo

Thanks, Rolly -- great info as always! I don't mind the heat and humidity and wouldn't mind living on a hillside -- although maybe not as far up as your friends live! I live on the 7th floor now, and walk up often, sometimes with groceries or laundry, but 14? I don't think so.

Re: [mskitty] Living in Manzanillo

Okay, here is the negative opinion from a Colima (city) resident... Manzanillo is a shipping port, Mexico's main port - very dirty, basic and the only nice clean white sandy beaches are on resort property - the rest is sucio, black and unfortunately usually trashed by the locals.

Trying to make an industrial port into a resort doesn't work - we try not to go to Manzanillo more than a couple times a year (mainly for Imigracion and friends that visit during holidays). You ask anybody here (that doesn't live in Manzanillo) about the place and nobody has much good to say about the area, nobody wants to live there either. The mafia pretty much controls the place, corruption and mordidas are still the culture, whereas in Colima city they never ask you for a bite (mordida).

I know it is more expensive, but heading north of Manzanillo is 100% better... Barra de Navidad and up. Manzanillo will never be a quality resort area, like Cancun or Cabo San Lucas - they will be lucky if they can reach the ranks of a Mazatlan.

Re: [halfmexi] Living in Manzanillo

It's funny how different perceptions are. We have never lived in Manzanillo but visit frequently, have friends who live there, and we thoroughly enjoy the place. It will be much cleaner once the CFE plant is converted to natural gas. I have to admit that the pollution from the plant is horrendous.

So far we've never been hit on for mordida (that's probably a risky statement as we are going there tomorrow) and have no reports from the friends who live there of problems.

I find the old downtown delightful and the locals we have met there very pleasant. Is there possibly some kind of rivalry between the capital city of Colima and the coastal town? Part of the attraction of the place is exactly that it is not a resort, but a real working town plus you have the connected areas of Salagua, Miramar etc. We get a kick out of watching the container ships come and go. We probably would not enjoy it as much if it became a Cabo San Lucas or PV - places we don't care to visit.

Each to their own - if we all liked the same places, it would be horrible.

Re: [bournemouth] Living in Manzanillo

Rolly is right. Beaches are Federal Zones and are public. The question is: How do you get to those beaches? Some of those beaches can be reached only by boat, and the hotel or resort authorities will argue with you that the beach is private and will try to chase you off. Others, although accessible by land or by walking along the beach at low tide level are just as inconvenient to reach.

I am not familiar with Manzanillo, but I wonder just how possible it would be to use the beach at Las Hadas (new name is what?).

Re: [jerezano] Living in Manzanillo

Some of the beaches on the Las Hadas peninsula (#4 below) are easy to get to -- I've been swimming there. Others are accessible only by boat or mountain goat. A small area is accessible only by boat or through the hotel. The hard to reach beaches are a minuscule percentage of the whole beach area of the Manzanillo and Santiago bays.

The beach at Las Brisas (#3 below) is beautiful and never crowed, but it is also subject to serious rip tides from time to time. It's a great place to watch the ships. My favorite is Miramar (#6), especially at the far north end where it curves around to the west.

Old Manzanillo, the down town, is at #1. The port is #2. What I call New Manzanillo is to the right of Las Brisas across the lagoon.

Re: [jerezano] Living in Manzanillo

I was hanging out in Manzanillo long before I ever heard of Lerdo. Back in the late 80s and early 90s when airfares were low, I kept an apartment in Las Brisas, so I could visit often for long weekends.

Re: [jerezano] Living in Manzanillo

Thanks for the great information, Rolly -- and everyone! I found another website today that has tons of photos and information on the area, and from what I can see, it looks like a place I could live happily. I like port cities, as I like boats and there appear to be lots of sailboats there. Having a small sailboat would be the ultimate dream for me, and that might happen there. Here's the link to the site, if anybody else is interested: http://sparks-mexico.com/.

Re: [mskitty] Living in Manzanillo

While most of the negatives mentioned here are true there are a lot more positive things to be said about the town and its burbs. Santiago is a great area and you might like to explore there a little bit. Easy access to town and shopping, restaurants, beaches, etc. El Centro is a great place to visit anytime and some of the food is great there.

Re: [shoe] Living in Manzanillo

Thanks, Shoe. It's always good to hear the negatives as well as the positives -- anything else gives a skewed view and I like to deal with reality whenever possible. News to me today were crocodiles and boas -- guess they aren't too much of a problem -- or are they, for kayaking and hiking and such? Any other negatives insofar as outdoor activities go? I'm not much for swimming or laying on a beach, although I love walking on the beach.